The Equality and Human Rights Commission is conducting research into how well the home based care and support system in England protects the rights of people over 65. The full report will be published in November 2011 however the Commission has published emerging findings which highlight many cases of inadequate care. Problems that have been brought to the Commission’s attention include:

• Inadequate time to deliver care
• Lack of control over timing of care visits
• Failure to deliver adequate homecare
• Lack of staff awareness and training
• High staff turnover
• Lack of complaints and low expectations

Baroness Greengross, a commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said

"Many older people up and down the country receive good quality care from committed, respectful care workers. But our evidence suggests that in some places care workers are faced with too much to do, in too little time, sometimes without proper training. This is causing standards to slip and is placing older people's human rights to privacy, autonomy and dignity at risk, sometimes in very serious ways.'

Source ECHR press release 20th June : http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/june/inquiry-reveals-failure-to-protect-the-rights-of-older-people-receiving-care-at-home/